The drive from Flagstaff, AZ to Glendale, Utah should be on the bucket-list of every man, woman and child in the world. It was spectacular. The ride should take about 4 hours, but we managed to turn it into an all day event. Shortly out of Flagstaff we came across Sunset Crater, which is a "new" mountain, only about 1000 years old. It was created by a volcano. We couldn't go up to the top of the mountain to see the crater, but we were able to walk around the area where the lava flowed. It was amazing to see huge fields of lava rock. We also saw a horned lizard crawling around on the lava rocks. I have never seen one of those before, so we watched it for a good five minutes or so. We left Sunset Crater with Sean sporting a new Junior Ranger badge. Robert and Reid opted out of the activities.The area around Sunset Crater still bears scars from last months forest fire, but the grasses are growing back and hopefully the Earth will repair itself.

We got back on Highway 89 and soon were surrounded by the gorgeous red mountains of Marble Canyon. However, nothing prepared me for what lay ahead. The Vermillion Cliffs and the Echo Cliffs. The Vermillion Cliffs are gleaming white cliffs that are on the west side of the highway and the Echo Cliffs parallel the highway to the east. Eventually the rode turns towards the Echo Cliffs and cuts into it So that we end up climbing the cliffs. Once we reached the top we saw a scenic pullover and felt compelled to take a moment to stop and admire the beauty before us. As luck would have it, we were on the Navajo Reservation, so there were tables set up at the stop with articles of Navajo craftsmanship. I picked up a Christmas ornament and Robert got an arrow.

We continued up Highway 89 and stopped in a little town called Page, AZ. Page is the largest town around Lake Powell, where I understand people rent houseboats during the summer and spend a week or so cruising around the lake. That sounds like something we may have to look into for another summer. Anyhow, the Page Sonic had parking for RVs if you can believe it. So we had to reward them by stopping and having lunch. More chili cheese tots for me. Yum!

Once out of Page, we crossed a bridge with a giant dam off to our right. It was the Glen Canyon Dam. We decided to stop at the Visitors Center and take a look around there and let the boys earn more Junior Ranger badges. All the tours of the dam were sold out, much to Sean's dismay, but the Visitors Center provides you with a wonderful view of the dam and Lake Powell. We spent about an hour at the dam and made the final push to Glendale, Utah. We crossed the Utah border shortly after leaving the dam and about an hour and a half later we were at our campground. We are surrounded by mountains, so we have absolutely no cell phone reception, and our wi-fi is incredibly slow, but we step foot outside the RV and are treated to magnificent views. It seems like a fair trade-off.

The kids were very disappointed that there is no cable at this campground, so therefore, no "Wipeout". I tried to make it up to them by letting them watch "Sitting Ducks" during dinner and we played Spoons until it was time to get ready for bed. The boys had never played Spoons before, and they loved it. It is a great family game and even the six year old got the hang of it really quickly. The only trouble he had was holding the cards. Glenn fashioned a card holder for him out of a clothes pin. Necessity is the mother of invention. Soon they were having so much fun playing the game that they forgot all about TV. Definitely a successful parenting moment.

I have to say, this was one of my favorite days so far on this vacation. Nothing compares to the Grand Canyon, but the scenery on our drive comes very close. I've never heard anyone mention Highway 89 from Flagstaff to Glendale before, so I'm going to spread the word. Definitely worth the drive. Do it and you won't be disappointed.